Project Viper
by The Story Of Your Life
Summary: Hydra has been working on experiments for years. But there is one experiment that they have left forgotten in the wake of SHIELD's destruction. What happens when that said experiment is found by the Avengers? Rated T for a reason.
1. Left Behind

**Chapter One**

_**Left Behind**_

Hydra had been working on human experiments for years. It was the one thing that made them stand apart from others. Some of the so called experiments would end up destroying themselves after a few years. Their genes simply refused to accept the serums injected in their blood.

One experiment, however, had given them quite a surprise. That said experiment was locked away in a prison cell. Fortunately for Hydra's sake said experiment did not see the room as a prison. She simply called home, and it was the only home she had ever lived in.

Over the years Hydra continued running tests on her. They had said that she was special. That she was the first of her kind. And she enjoyed the attention they gave her. Scientists would drawl blood to get an example of how or why her genes accepted the serums injected in her.

She never thought anything of it. Once they were finished running their tests they would lead her back to her room for the night. It was the place she found comfort in during those long, almost torturous nights. The room wasn't too exciting, with just a small space to rest in and no window to provide any natural light. She didn't even have a bed to sleep on. But as per usual it was something she had gotten used to over the years.

At least Hydra kept her fed well enough, as far as she was concerned. And they gave her fresh clothes once a week after she was finished with her training. Hydra was determined to ensure that their little experiment retained every ounce of fighting spirit. But they were also determined to make sure that she followed their every order. And so she did.

But it didn't last. The scientists had started removing their lab equipment a few weeks before SHIELD dispersed. She had noticed that something was off when there were fewer guards in the base. When news of SHIELD's fall had finally arrived most of the base was empty.

Hydra had left their greatest weapon behind. They thought nothing of it when SHIELD fell and revealed their biggest secrets. The sudden feeling of abandonment crashed on her shoulders like a heavy weight.

When she finally felt the urge to open her door she realized that she was all alone. No alarm sounded to alert that one of Hydra's experiments had escaped. She looked around in confusion and fear. She had never been left alone before. No sign of any guard could be seen.

She stopped by one of the computers that was bolted to the floor. Even with the strength of a Super Soldier, Hydra couldn't remove it. Carefully she tapped on the screen, remembering what Hydra had taught her about lab equipment.

After typing in a few codes she saw a video feed from two days ago. Her eyes widened when she played the video from the beginning. Images of three large ships exploding in the air started flashing across the screen. It was seconds later when the logo for SHIELD appeared. All she could do was just stare when she realized what had happened.

"SHIELD is gone," she whispered, her voice hoarse from lack of use. She didn't miss the fact that Hydra had abandoned her as well. She was left to fend for herself in the base, unless she managed to find the exit.

Even if she did find the exit there was little chance of her surviving out in the real world. Out there she would be considered a freak. Hydra had created a monster that could take down anything with a simple wave of her hand if she allowed it.

Holding back a sigh she returned to her room and dropped to the floor. She would stay put until she knew that it was safe to leave. For now the outside world could wait.

* * *

><p>"Nat, are you sure about this?" Clint looked at his partner warily as she tapped on the screen once.<p>

They had been waiting in that position for hours, just sitting still and observing what looked like an abandoned warehouse. Natasha nodded as she picked up the frequency coming from inside. She had her eye on this warehouse for the last three weeks, since SHIELD's downfall. Tony had given her the coordinates after he found some kind of life force inside.

"Positive," she replied with a nod. "I'm picking up a life force inside. It's possible that Hydra could still be here."

"Or it could be a couple of kids playing a prank on us," Clint muttered under his breath.

"Either way they don't belong there," she reminded him.

Clint only rolled his eyes before following Natasha through the undergrowth. The base was outside Seattle, and of course it was raining, something the city was infamous for. Slowly the two of them inched their way forward, wary of booby-traps.

"Anyone home?" Natasha was ready to snap something when Clint knocked on the door.

"Do you ever think before you act?" she demanded.

"No answer, guess it's safe to go in," he replied with a sheepish grin. Natasha gave him a glare before kicking down the door. "Way to keep it subtle," he added. Natasha only shook her head before leading the way inside. "So why exactly are we infiltrating this base?"

"According to the files Fury sent this was one of their main bases," she explained warily. "Hydra's been using it to run experiments in young kids." Clint stiffened at the mention of kids.

"So you think that whoever is in there could be one of those experiments," he finally said in understanding.

Natasha nodded before stopping near a corner. Knowing that they were not alone made her wary. She got her stingers ready just in case. The experiments Hydra had created could be dangerous or loyal to Hydra.

Soon they reached what looked like a large open room with a single computer bolted to the floor. What could have been a lab was now empty and lifeless. Natasha narrowed her eyes when she saw a small looking folder hiding underneath the computer's desk.

"Looks like Hydra left something behind," she whispered. Carefully she leaned forward and picked the manilla colored folder up. "Experiment 1661?" She exchanged a wary look with Clint before reading the files inside.

'_Experiment 1661: One of Hydra's most coveted creations. An experiment with the power to crush an enemy in the blink of an eye. The experiment is one of the only survivor, and has shown signs of complete obedience. Files are subject to change as testing continues_.'

The pair exchanged startled looks. If what the files were true than Hydra had a dangerous weapon, and one that the Avengers would need to take down.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So this is a new story idea that I've been planning. If you were reading my profile you'll see that it's changed a few times ^^ But this is one idea that I really wanted to post. So please give me your thoughts on the story and whether or not I should continue!<strong>


	2. The Girl With No Name

**Chapter Two**

_**The Girl With No Name**_

How much time had passed since SHIELD's downfall? She wasn't even sure. She had kept herself locked in the room for who knows how long. With no way to keep track of time it made no sense to bother caring.

But she had noticed some change since her discovery. She was _starving_. No Hydra agent had stopped by to make sure she had eaten. All she had now were the clothes on her back. Even that wasn't enough to provide the little warmth in her room.

She curled up in the corner of her room, arms wrapped around her knees. It wasn't safe to leave the room just yet. She had heard the sound of footsteps just moments ago. If what she thought was true than someone else was in the base.

_Hydra is gone_, she reminded herself. Unless they had somehow remembered her. Warily she uncurled herself and peered between the cracks of her door. It wasn't much of a view but it was better than nothing.

Her eyes widened when she saw two figures standing in the room. She could faintly hear their voices as they whispered to one another. The rooms had been made soundproof on purpose. Hydra didn't want any of their experiments to hear what they were saying outside the rooms.

"... danger to us all," one of the figures suddenly rose their voice to a pitch that she heard loud and clear. She took a step back and focused her attention on the figures outside. When she was hungry or weak it was harder to concentrate. But she found enough strength that she could pick up their thoughts.

'_Be thankful I'm not ready to strangle you, Clint_,' came a female's thoughts. Her voice sounded annoyed, to the point that her thoughts had come out as a growl. The girl looked at her door in shock and fear. One of the intruders was clearly annoyed, which meant the other could be just as bad.

'_Can we get this done and over with already_?' a second voice suddenly rang in her ears. This time it was male, telling her that the two were obviously working together. She could sense their alarm as they realized that they weren't alone.

She took another step backwards until her back was touching the cold cement wall. With one flick of the wrist the door slowly opened. The intruders had suddenly stiffened at the noise it created. She smiled grimly before slamming the door shut again. It wasn't until she had slammed the door again that the two figures suddenly appeared in front of it. The girl only stared at them in surprise before cowering as far as the wall would allow her.

"W-who are you?" she demanded, trying to keep her voice steady. Considering she had rarely spoken during her time here, that was difficult. The two intruders looked equally surprised as she was. All she could do was look at them fearfully.

The redhead took a step forward, ignoring all signs of the obvious danger she was in. Her partner shot her a wary look as she leaned forward and knelt down on one knee.

"Natasha Romanoff, otherwise known as the Black Widow," she replied. "And Clint Barton, otherwise known as Hawkeye. We're with the-" The girl cut her off with a terrified squeal. She knew all too well who they were.

"Go away!" she shouted after backing into the wall once more. Hydra had already warned her that the Avengers might come looking for her. The Avengers were working with SHIELD, or had been working with the agency. Even so she knew not to trust them. "Just leave me alone and forget you found me," she added.

Natasha exchanged a look with Clint. The girl opened one eye to see that they had stepped out of the room. Her eyes narrowed as she started to wonder what they were up to. She focused her mind on Natasha, hoping to find answers.

'_We aren't here to hurt you_,' came the sudden thought. Her gaze only hardened as she took one careful step forward. '_We know what Hydra has done to you_,' Natasha suddenly added. Sudden curiosity washed over her. What would these two strangers have known about her?

Finally she dared to step out of her room. The dim lights above revealed what she really looked like to them. She appeared to be around the age of fourteen, was tall with waist-length light blond hair and thin. That was what had struck them the most.

"How do you know what Hydra did to me?" she asked. She glanced over at the folder that Natasha had found minutes ago. Her eyes widened when she recognized it. Hydra had taken everything but her. She was left behind to fend for herself.

"Look, why don't you come with us? We could give you proper shelter and a decent meal," Clint said, ignoring her earlier question. The girl only looked at him skeptically. She had such necessities here where her only home was. And yet the prospect of food left her wondering if she was thinking rationally.

_You can't trust them_, she reminded herself. Suddenly she lurched forward as hunger clawed at her stomach. The pair looked at her in alarm as she dropped down to the floor, feeling the sudden urge to gag. But nothing came up. She only felt weaker as she struggled to stand.

Clint suddenly reached out for the duffel bag he brought with him, thankful that he had packed some energy bars prior to their mission. The girl was on the brink of starvation. It was obvious from seeing the way she swayed back and forth before stumbling forward.

"Eat it slowly," he ordered after handing her a small pack. The girl stared at the food he offered her warily. What if it was poisoned? The rumbling of her stomach told her that it didn't matter. Without a second thought she snatched it away from his hands and ate as much as her stomach would allow. "What happened to eating it slowly?" he muttered under his breath.

She looked at him fearfully before bracing herself for what might follow. Hydra had often beaten the experiments that didn't obey them. She had learned over time that obedience was everything. One wrong move would mean certain death.

_'Hydra must have done some terrible things_.' His thoughts suddenly reached hers. She stiffened at the mention of Hydra and backed away fearfully. Clint exchanged a worried look with Natasha before she stepped in this time.

"Take it easy, we aren't going to hurt you," Natasha said in a reassuring tone. "We only want to free you from this base."

"W-What? I can't," she stammered fearfully. "What if Hydra comes back? They'll know you took me. Besides, to them I would just be some kind of freak."

"If you come with us we won't let Hydra get to you," Clint replied with a firm nod.

"But what if SHIELD tries to kill me? They would hunt me down until I'm finished off." By now she had backed into a wall, letting fear overwhelm her. Natasha let out a sigh of frustration before taking a step forward. The girl only coward in her small corner, bracing herself for the punishment that would surely follow.

"Look, this is getting is nowhere," she told the girl. "We're calling in the Quinjet. You can either go with us or stay here for the rest of your life with no food or water, your choice."

"Nat, what are you doing?" Clint's questioning caught the girl's attention. She looked between the two as Natasha gave him a knowing look.

"Just follow my lead," she whispered.

Clint shot the girl one final look before following Natasha out of the room. The girl simply tilted her head to one side, curiosity suddenly sparking within her. The energy bar Clint had given her held back the hunger for now. But she knew it was only a matter of time before she felt hunger's steely grip once more.

After a few more minutes the girl finally made up her mind. She couldn't stay here if what Natasha had said was true. The prospect of food and proper shelter was too promising. Carefully she followed the sound of their footsteps until she reached a small hallway.

The pair were waiting on a bench, much to her surprise. "I'll... maybe I will go with you," she started. Natasha only met her stare as the girl felt her shoulders sag in defeat. "But only if you promise that SHIELD won't be involved, and that no one is going to hurt me."

Natasha gave a faint nod before standing up to let the girl sit down. Clint gave her an odd look as Natasha started speaking through what the girl saw was a wrist watch. She wasn't used to seeing such technology so close up.

"So, do you have a name?" Clint suddenly asked. The girl looked at him in surprise before shaking her head.

"Everyone always called me Experiment 1661," she explained with a shrug. "Or Experiment for short." She smiled fondly at a memory. She had made a friend a long time ago during her time here. That friend was simply known as Experiment 290, but they all had their own nicknames. Her friend had called herself Crawler, because of her ability to crawl over any surface. The girl of course had never given herself such a nickname. Unfortunately her friend Crawler had disappeared a few weeks before SHIELD's downfall.

"Really? Well that sucks," he muttered.

"We were well cared for," she quickly defended herself, but even she could hear the doubt in her voice.

"Well I think everyone deserves a name, crappy life or not." The girl eyed Clint warily. She didn't miss the fact that Natasha was watching their every move. The Black Widow was making sure that she didn't escape.

"What kind of name would you give me?" she asked after realizing that he was right. Living without a name was simply what she had gotten used to. But it would be nice to have something unique.

"Yeah, maybe something like Jessica or Emma." He added the last part with a shrug. If she didn't know any better she would have thought he'd blushed. But it happened so quickly that she couldn't be too sure.

"I like Emma," she murmured thoughtfully.

Silently she ran over the name as many times as she could. It felt good to have something that made her stand out. Maybe this new life wouldn't be so bad after all. Yet she couldn't ignore the silent alarms that were blaring in her ears.

SHIELD was evil, and anyone associated with them was as well. Could she trust these people? Or would they betray her? She supposed that only time would tell.


	3. Arrival At The Tower

_"Let those who seek my life be put to shame and confounded; let those who take pleasure in my misfortune draw back and be disgraced" Psalm 70_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

_**Arrival At The Tower**_

It took most of the day for the Quinjet to arrive at the tower. Emma had been asleep the entire time. Exhaustion and lack of food had finally gotten to her. By the time she had gotten inside the Quinjet she passed out as soon as she sat down.

Darkness surrounded them, as it was late at night. The Quinjet had landed on a pad that Tony designed just for missions like this. Once it was on the ground Emma was jolted awake. Her vision was a bit blurry but she could make out what looked like a large penthouse.

"Welcome back, agent Romanoff and agent Barton," a voice with a British accent greeted them. Emma looked around wildly at the sound. There was no one around that she could see at the moment. "I assume that the new arrival is with you as well," the voice suddenly put in.

"That's JARVIS, the AI that runs the place," Natasha explained after noticing the fear in Emma's eyes. She simply nodded in understanding, remembering that Hydra had something similar back in their base. It wasn't technically an AI system, but it might as well have been. "JARVIS, where's Tony?" she asked warily.

"Mr. Stark is in the penthouse, along with the others as you have instructed," came the quick response.

Emma was fascinated with the AI. She had never seen a system that ran so smoothly. The equipment that Hydra had was old compared to what she saw now. And yet Hydra had created that equipment for a reason.

'_I hope this kid isn't another Romanoff,_ _we've got one too many_,' another voice suddenly rang in her ears.

'_It's late enough already_. _This better be worth the wait_.'

'_Does she have any injuries that they didn't mention_? _I sure hope not_...'

She froze in place at the voices ringing in her ears. Back at the base there was some kind of system that had blocked all of the voices. But out here it was almost overwhelming, to the point where the noise became deafening.

'_Gotta get to work now, running late as it is_.'

"You okay?" Emma jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Clint looking down at her with concern.

"Too many voices," was all she could say. Clint only looked at her in confusion before she was led into the penthouse.

There were four people waiting for her already once inside. Emma looked at them in surprise and recognition. Hydra had files on most of these people, aside from the African American man standing beside the tall blond.

'_You've got to be kidding me_,' a voice muttered crossly.

'_She's just a kid_,' another voice stated.

"So, what's the deal with this kid?" Finally someone had the urge to say something during the awkward silence. To Emma their real voice was reassuring, despite the fear that started crawling through her.

"We found her in the base," Natasha explained. "Hydra removed most of the evidence that they were even there. But they left someone behind." She looked over at Emma grimly as the girl bowed her head.

'_Just another Hydra reject_.'

She hated knowing that the voices were right. Hydra had obviously left her behind for a reason. Perhaps she wasn't the perfect experiment they had first believed.

"You mentioned something about hearing voices," Clint suddenly added. Emma stiffened at that. She looked at him anxiously before receiving strange looks from everyone else. It was the first time she had ever been asked to explain herself.

Back at the Hydra base she had never been given the chance to explain herself. It was either obey or get punished. That was why many experiments had been killed; because none of them would obey. She bit the bottom of her lip at the horrible memory of having to watch one of the experiments die.

Their death was served as a reminder to those who did obey orders. That if one deflected from Hydra, they would pay the price.

"I have the power of telepathy, and telekinesis," she explained warily. "Back in the base Hydra had some kind of device that would block the voices, but here..." She stopped as more voices continued haunting her.

"Wait, you have powers?" Emma recognized the man as Tony Stark. Hydra had files on both him and his family. His parents had been mysteriously killed in a plane crash several years ago. She simply nodded in response.

"They taught me how to control them," she replied. "How to use them in order to control others." A shudder ran through her as she remembered having to control one of the scientists as a test run. She could still remember their horrified screams as she slammed them into a wall due to an order.

Natasha looked at her in disbelief before realizing what Emma had meant by that.

'_What if she's still loyal to Hydra_?' The question did leave Emma wondering. She had never really been given the choice as to where her loyalties lie.

"Wait one moment," Tony stepped in. "If Hydra trained you how to control your powers, why can you still hear, or read our thoughts?" His question left a burning seed of doubt in Emma's mind. She had been wondering the same thing.

"Hydra had a device that blocked my powers," she admitted. "I could only read their minds when they turned it off."

"So you could only do things when they felt the need," the tall blond murmured thoughtfully. Emma gave a faint nod of agreement. The files Hydra had on him had noted that Steve Rogers had the super soldier serum. He was a dangerous enemy according to Hydra.

"Look, it's been a long night," Natasha pointed out. "For now I think you need a proper meal, a shower and than some rest."

Emma was ready to argue when she thought better of it. Arguing would only lead to punishment. She didn't want these people hurting her like Hydra had.

After a few minutes of preparing a decent meal, Emma was able to sit at a large table that Tony had set up. Her shoulders sagged in relief as the sweet scent of food made her stomach growl. She was hungry, but the energy bar had kept her going until now.

"I'm sorry, we never properly introduced ourselves," Steve said after joining her. Emma looked around warily when everyone else sat around him. She swallowed a bit of her meal before announcing the name she'd given herself.

"Emma," she replied casually.

"Steve Rogers," he introduced himself with a faint smile.

'_I can't even imagine what she went through with Hydra_.' The voice that followed made her drop her gaze.

No one in Hydra had pitied her before. Every now and than the scientists would take pity and stop their work for a few minutes. But that was about it.

"Doctor Bruce Banner," the man with curly brown hair told her. He sounded wary, as if he was expecting her to judge him on first appearance. Emma only smiled back. She remembered the files Hydra had on him.

"Sam Wilson," the African American put in. "I'm still a bit new here, you might not recognize me," he added sheepishly.

"Tony Stark, though I'm sure you already know who I am," Tony replied with a proud smirk. Natasha only rolled her eyes before clearing off her dinner. "So do you have a last name?" he suddenly asked. Emma looked at him in surprise before she realized what he meant.

"No," she murmured with a shake of her head. "Hydra took me in when I was a baby... I've been with them all my life." She added with a shrug.

'_And she doesn't have any loyalty towards them_?'

'_Poor kid, glad that it wasn't me who went through that_.'

She quickly finished the rest of her meal, suddenly feeling awkward once again. Hydra had always been kind to her, providing shelter and decent meals. But there were times that she had seen their cruelty. And it left a burning image in her memory that she couldn't forget.

"Let me show your room," Natasha suggested after noticing the sudden tension.

Emma gave her a grateful look before getting out of her seat. Before she left however she used her powers to send the dirty plate over to the sink. The others watched on with awe when the plate was put gently in place.

She only smirked and followed Natasha into the hallway that led to the rooms. It felt good to use her powers like that. Hydra would simply ask to move object or lift them during their tests. Every now and than they would ask her to even move the nearest person sitting in the same room.

Natasha stopped by the first room in the hall. Emma eyed the door warily. It was so different from the thick, solid wood door that had protected her old room. She glanced over at Natasha in concern before the redhead gave her a reassuring nod.

"There's a full bath in your room," she explained. "If you need anything let me know."

Carefully Emma turned the doorknob and opened it. Her eyes widened in disbelief when she saw the room. It was big, three times bigger than the one at the base. Two dressers were placed against a wall, and in between the dressers was a flat screen television. But what had really caught her attention was the bed. The bed itself was bigger than she could have imagined, with fresh sheets and everything.

Emma wasted no time in exploring her room once the door was closed behind her. The bed made her wary; she had never had such a luxury back in the base. She decided to pull the sheets off and sleep on the floor for now. Something new like this made her feel uneasy.

Once she had pulled off the sheets she got unchanged and headed for the shower. Hydra had always had a set time for how long the shower would be. And the water was always cold. They always said that the cold would keep her alert. So it was a bit of a shock when she felt warm water against her bare skin. Immediately she switched it back to cold once she realized what was happening.

She let out a sigh of relief once she was washed and cleaned. It was refreshing to get a decent shower in. She couldn't even remember the last time she had taken one. With that all taken care of, she headed for her room once again and sat down on her makeshift bed. The sheets would be more than enough; sleeping on a soft bed might be too much.

This entire journey had left her feeling exhausted. Everything was happening far too quickly for her liking. One moment she was back in the base, safe and comfortable. The next she found herself left behind and taken in by the Avengers, Hydra's hated enemies.

It almost seemed like a dream come true.

'_Is this girl really going to join the team_?'

'_Still gotta finish the rest of that suit_.'

'_Time for some proper training_.'

Emma tried blocking the voices as she curled up in the little nest she had made. The voices were so loud, to the point she wished there was something blocking them. It was going to be a long night. All she could do now was hope that she got some sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: That little blurb in the beginning is actually a very important message in this story. So kudos to anyone who catches on ;) Also a big thanks to everyone who has favorited or followed this story. Reviews are always appreciated!<strong>

**RocketKat123 - Thank you, I'm glad that you're enjoying this story :) Although to be honest I got inspiration from Silmarilz1701's Valkyrie. If you like these kind of stories than check her's out, 'cause it's well written and has an interesting plotline.**


	4. First Ray Of Light

**Chapter Four**

_**First Ray Of Light  
><strong>_

She was having another nightmare. She found herself twisting and turning in her makeshift bed. The nightmare felt so real that she could almost feel the pain that was inflicted on her. But they were simply memories.

Memories of her days in the Hydra base. Images of people, the latest victims Hydra had captured, burned in her mind. The people were tortured, to the point where they would break down and confess everything. She was always involved in these cases. The scientists involved believed that she could help with the interrogations.

What had horrified her the most were those terrible screams that would follow. She was often forced to kill these victims once they had confessed everything. Or when Hydra no longer needed them. Either way they had trained her to kill them using her powers. And she would do so painfully and slowly, just to please her caretakers.

Emma woke with a start. She was gasping for breath, and realized that the screams had been her own. Terror gripped at her like talons. It had been a long time since she had nightmares like those. She tried shaking off the visions and got to her feet.

It was five in the morning when she looked at the time. The clocks in the Hydra base had stopped working once they left her behind. So she hadn't been able to tell what time of the day it was until now. It didn't take her long to remember that she wasn't in her old cell.

With a heavy sigh she got changed, putting on a purple shirt and comfy sweatpants before pulling her hair back into a messy ponytail. Once she was changed and ready she slipped out of her room, making sure that she didn't wake anyone else up.

The voices in her head had slowed down to a dull throbbing. She had already assumed that was due to still being drowsy, or everyone else was fast asleep. Then again it was New York City. From what she had gathered this was the city that never slept.

Emma didn't stop tiptoeing until she had reached the living room. Here the space was much larger and she could freely pace without bumping into anything. Pacing and letting objects float around her were the few things that comforted her.

_Hydra left me for dead back in the base_, she thought as she started pacing. A small pebble from a bowl that Tony used as decoration started floating around her shortly after. Anything bigger might frighten the Avengers, leading to the punishment she was fearing would happen anyways.

"Trouble sleeping?" Emma nearly squealed at the question, the pebble dropping at her feet with a loud _clang_. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Steve added after realizing what he had done. Emma looked at him warily before nodding.

"Bad dream," she whispered.

Steve nodded in understanding. He could remember suffering from traumatic nightmares after the war. He knew what that was like.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked after taking a seat on the couch.

"You're not going to tell anyone, are you?" she countered. The wariness refused to leave her. She had heard too many horror stories about SHIELD and the Avengers often torturing their victims. They were far worse than Hydra could ever be.

"Of course I won't," he reassured her with another nod.

Emma let out a sigh before sitting as far away from him on the couch as she could. She wasn't ready to break the boundary she'd created.

"The nightmares I get... they aren't just nightmares," she explained in a tense voice. "Back when I was in the base I would get these... visions. I realized that they were memories, memories of what Hydra made me do."

"Don't you remember doing those things?" Steve sounded a bit put off by the way she spoke. Emma only shook her head.

"All I know is that I've been with them my whole life," she replied.

'_Hydra must have wiped her memory_, _like Bucky_.' Emma's eyes lit up at the mention of Bucky. The name had sounded familiar. Yet she couldn't shake off his sudden realization. What if he was right?

"Hydra wouldn't do that to me," she said almost to herself. Steve only looked at her in confusion as she continued, "if they did than why can I remember bits and pieces of what happened?"

"Maybe they only wanted you to keep your happier memories," he suggested with a shrug. "That way you would trust them more."

Emma snorted doubtfully at that suggestion. But she knew that Steve was right. Somewhere deep down she knew that Hydra had just been playing her. That was why they had abandoned her. They no longer needed her when SHIELD collapsed.

She_ wanted_ to believe that Hydra had simply forgotten about her. If they knew she was still alive and with the Avengers, they might try and hunt her down. She couldn't put their lives at risk just for some shelter and food.

"What would you have done?" she asked warily. Steve looked at her thoughtfully before giving an honest answer. He knew how hurt she was from Hydra's treatment. He had to be careful with his answer.

"I would want to know why they did this," he admitted. "And find whoever did this, to make sure they don't hurt anyone else."

Steve found it difficult to read this girl. She was raised with Hydra and yet she showed no signs of loyalty towards them. That was what had surprised him the most. Yet he couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to her than she was leading on.

It was horrifying to know what Hydra had put her through. He had to wonder if they had done the same thing to Bucky.

Emma took a deep breath as she studied the thoughts running through his mind. He was concerned for her. But more importantly he was concerned about Hydra still being on the loose. He once had a friend named Bucky Barnes, who was turned into the Winter Soldier thanks to Hydra.

He had a grudge against them. Emma suddenly understood why he was so wary around her. He was afraid of her ties with them.

She was about to say something when she spotted a light out of the corner of her eye. It wasn't like the lights that dangled from the ceiling. She stood up and watched the scene with awe. The one thing she loved about this room was how large the windows were. They were big enough to see just about everything in the city, including the one thing she had never seen before.

The sky was slowly changing from a pinkish hue to golden and light blue. Emma had never seen anything more beautiful.

"What is that?" she suddenly asked. She could sense Steve's confusion until he understood what she meant.

"Sunrise," he replied. "You've never seen one?" Emma only shook her head, refusing to take her eyes off the sight.

"I've heard what it looks like," she admitted. "But this is..." She tried searching for the right words, but couldn't find it.

"Breathtaking?" he suggested.

"Yeah, that." She continued watching the sunrise until the sky was fully light. By the time the sun had fully risen the sky was a pale blue color, with silvery wisps of clouds that could be made out.

"If you thought that was amazing wait until you see the sunset," Steve said with a grin.

Emma could only grin back. She was at a loss for words as tears started blurring her vision. This was what she had missed out on during her time in the base. It was worth getting up early to see it.


	5. Miss Pepper Potts

**Chapter Five**

_**Miss Pepper Potts**_

'_I want my mommy now_!' The cry of a girl had jolted Emma awake. She had been soundly asleep on the floor of her room just seconds ago.

'_Ah shut up you annoying brat_!' Emma felt her fists clench at the annoyed thoughts of what she guessed was the girl's father. It reminded her too much of her time in the base. Should this man be anything like the Hydra agents, she would take care of that quickly.

She tried blocking out the sounds to no avail. Eventually they became a dull hum that continuously haunted her. At the rate this was going she wouldn't get any sleep if it kept up. For two nights in a row she had woken up early. But at least she was able to see the sunrise each time.

With a sigh of frustration she got herself dressed and ready for the day. Bruce had wanted to run some tests to make sure Hydra didn't inflict any internal injuries. He was serious when he said that they could kill her.

_'I wonder what's for breakfast today_?'

'_Can we go shopping_?'

Once again Emma tried blocking the voices, realizing that they were getting overwhelming. There were times when she wished there was a way to suppress these voices. If only for a few hours so that she could have a chance to relax.

"You awake kid?" She stiffened at the sound of a knocking and Tony's voice. It took her a few moments to realize that it was well past eight in the morning.

"Yeah," she replied.

"Head to the medical bay than, Bruce wants to check on you." Tony sounded annoyed, and Emma had a feeling that he had been woken up a little too early for his liking.

She headed for the door and mentally opened it before peering out of her room. Sure enough there was no one waiting for her outside. With a sigh of annoyance she realized that she didn't know where the medical bay was.

"Hey JARVIS, do you know where the medical bay is?" she asked after realizing she could just ask JARVIS.

"The medical bay is located down the stairs and to your right," replied the AI. She couldn't help but smile at the quick response.

After thanking JARVIS she headed for the flight of stairs that led to the medical bay. Soon she reached the area JARVIS had pointed out. When she stopped by the door she noticed that it was already opened.

Emma peered inside to see what it looked like.

To her surprise it was nothing like the medical labs in the base. Hospital beds were placed against a long white wall. A large counter spread across the other side. She quickly spotted several tables with lab equipment placed on top.

'_She's late; I hope Tony remembered to wake her up_.'

She hid a smirk before slipping inside. Bruce was already waiting by one of the hospital beds, topping his foot impatiently. He looked up in surprise when Emma let out a tiny cough. She reminded herself to stay careful around him.

"Sorry, I must have slept in," she apologized. She was already bracing herself for the punishment that would follow. Bruce only shook his head and put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to stiffen at the sudden movement. She was expecting him to attack her.

"It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you," he said after realizing what she was doing.

'_What did those people do to make her so afraid_?' Emma looked at him fearfully when she realized that sooner or later she would have to tell him. Steve had already learned some of the truth behind her treatment in the base, but he was the only one she had opened up to.

"Just try and relax," he sighed. "I'm just going to run a few tests to make sure they haven't caused any internal injuries."

She watched him with careful eyes as he started running the tests. It was difficult to stay relaxed when she knew he could hurt her at any given moment. Eventually Bruce finished writing down the notes he'd gathered from his new information. That was when he reached for the needle. Emma forced back the terror of knowing what he was about to do.

Far too many times Hydra would use the same method, stabbing her forcefully with needles and taking blood samples. She couldn't remember much of it, but she did remember the pain.

'_Easy, I won't hurt you_.' Emma forced herself to stay calm as he took a sample of her blood. It was over in a matter of seconds.

"See, that wasn't so bad was it?" He looked at her sheepishly as Emma scooted away.

"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I'm just not overly fond with pointy objects."

"You and me both." She looked at him in surprise when he said that. "I think I would be shocked if I found someone who did."

'_I suppose we have something in common_.' Emma tried not to smirk at that comment.

"I should probably get going," she announced. "Do you need me to stay for the results?"

She let out a sigh of relief when he shook his head. When she turned to leave she could almost see him smiling behind her back.

'_She's certainly an enigma_.' She decided to try and block his thoughts while making her way up the stairs.

It was nice to know that there were some people who would treat her like a normal human being. Bruce seemed friendly enough as far as she was concerned. But she had to remind herself that looks could be deceiving.

When she reached the living room she saw that someone else had joined the other Avengers. She was a young looking woman with strawberry blond hair. Emma tilted her head to one side out of curiosity. Could she be trusted? Emma wasn't too sure. She _looked_ friendly enough.

"So, you mentioned something about bringing in someone new?" The woman was talking with Tony, who was leaning forward at the bar. Emma didn't miss the reassured look on his face as he locked gazes with the woman.

"Yeah, Romanoff and Barton picked her up two days ago," he replied. "The kid's different... I mean, she doesn't even try using her bed! And she can read minds, so keep that in mind." He added the last part with a wink.

"But is she dangerous?" She ignored the gesture and sat down on one of the stools. Tony had passed her a glass of red whine shortly after they started talking.

"Don't know. They wouldn't say much other than the fact that she has powers."

"Do they even know where she came from?"

Emma chose that moment to step into the room. To her surprise they were the only ones there. Steve and Sam must be out somewhere. She had already been told the night before that Romanoff and Barton were sent on another mission. The strawberry blond suddenly turned so that she was facing Emma, eyes wide with surprise when she saw the girl.

'_She doesn't look like much_.'

'_This should be good_. _Can't wait to see how she screws up this time_.' Emma glared at Tony when he thought that, earning a look of confusion when he said that.

"Hi," was all the woman could say. In truth she was a little at loss for words. Tony's description was spot-on.

The girl was terribly thin, with long light blond hair that ran down to her waist. What caught attention though was the way the girl stared at her. It was almost like the girl could see exactly what she was thinking.

"I can," Emma suddenly piped up. The woman simply stared at her in surprise before Emma apologized once again. "Sorry... I can read your thoughts," she added after realizing her mistake.

Once again she was bracing herself for the punishment that would follow. It was difficult getting used to the fact that she was no longer in Hydra's hands. They had done this to her more often than she could keep track of.

"What's wrong?" the woman asked when she saw something change in the way the girl was acting.

'_I didn't hurt her did I_?' Her worried thoughts made Emma blink in surprise. No one had ever worried for her safety.

"It's okay Pep," Tony said reassuringly. "She's just got some... trauma issues." The woman looked at Tony warily before turning back to face Emma.

"Do you have a name?" She tried dropping the subject.

"Emma," she replied, trying to calm herself down. The woman raised an eyebrow as if expecting more. "I don't have a last name," she quickly explained. "When I was with... my previous caretakers, I was simply known as Experiment 1661."

The woman looked taken aback by how casual the girl sounded when she spoke of her past. There were times when she saw Hydra as the enemy and times when she saw them as her caretakers. Since she had spent most of her life with them it was difficult to tell the difference now.

"Well, my name is Virginia Pepper Potts, though everyone calls me Pepper," the woman introduced herself with a smile.

_Pretty name_, Emma thought as she shook hands with her.

"She's also one of the best girlfriends I've ever had," Tony added in a proud voice. Pepper gave him a smirk that said it all.

"I'm also the last girlfriend you will ever have," she retorted in amusement.

Emma couldn't help but smile as she watched the pair. She liked Pepper already. There was something about the woman that made her feel oddly calm. Maybe it was because Pepper had not judged her by first appearance. Either way she felt like they could actually get along.

"Do you know when agents Romanoff and Barton will be back?" she asked. Tony nearly choked on his beer when she asked that question.

"They just reported about an hour ago that they're almost finished," he replied after wiping off the counter.

That was good. Emma wouldn't admit it but she was looking forward to seeing them again. The two agents had given her a second chance at life.

"Steve and Sam are out jogging if you plan on chatting with anyone else," he added when she headed for the couch. Emma gave a simple wave of her hand, causing one of the glasses to move from the counter and slide on to the floor.

Both Tony and Pepper jumped at the sound of glass shattering. Emma winced at the sound, realizing too late what she had done.

"Sorry!" she squeaked for what felt like the umpteenth time. It was beginning to sound repetitive. "I didn't mean to," she added after picking up the pieces with her mind.

"Well, at least you cleaned up," Pepper said in an all-too-cheerful tone. "Tony doesn't even do that most of the time." To which Tony rolled his eyes.

They didn't punish her, despite the fact that she had broken something. Maybe the Avengers weren't so bad after all, if they continued acting this way. Only time would tell if her assumption was right.

* * *

><p><strong>Lolcatzlola - Thanks! I've actually never read that series, though I've heard plenty of good reviews from them. And thanks again for reviewing, it's always appreciated!<strong>


	6. Test Results

**Chapter Six**

_**Test Results**_

It was later that afternoon Bruce had returned from his lab. Everyone was gathered in the living room, even Emma. Prior to that she had found a place where she could be alone. The voices in her head had finally died down to a dull thrumming noise, but every now and than they would pick up. She found that the more stressed she felt the easier it was for her to hear those voices.

"According to the test results we've found possible traces of amnesia," Bruce explained after joining them. Everyone looked at Emma in concern, while she tilted her head in confusion. "Hydra did something to her during her stay in their base that effected her memories."

"So, let me get this straight," Sam began before anyone else could stop him. "Hydra's been wiping her memory? Who's to say they didn't do anything else?"

_You didn't have to say that out loud_, she thought resentfully.

"Whatever the case is, we need to find out what it is Hydra took away from you," Steve put in. He gave his friend an icy look. Emma already found it difficult to trust these people. The last thing they wanted, especially with her powers, was to crush any trust she had.

Bruce and Tony exchanged a look before the two spoke up. Emma stiffened as she picked up their thoughts.

'_If we build a machine that can retrieve lost memories_... _but how would we even do that_?'

'_Hulk angry with bad guys_!' Emma's eyes widened when she heard the shout. When she looked at Bruce she noticed that he was struggling to stay calm. Ever so carefully she made it so that all he could think about were soothing thoughts, to keep the Hulk from overpowering him.

"Look, it's possible we could build a machine that can retrieve memories," Tony explained, voicing his thoughts. "The problem is I'm not even sure how to make such a thing."

"Do you know how long that would take?" Pepper asked. She was the most concerned for Emma. After hearing the stories Tony had told her, she wanted to make sure the girl had a safe upbringing in the Tower. Tony only shrugged before coming up with some kind of response.

"It could take weeks," he replied. "Depending on whether or not we can find the right tech."

Emma wasn't sure if she wanted to find her memories. If what Bruce had said was true than Hydra had taken them away for a reason. Maybe it was better not knowing what they did to her. She looked away as the uneasiness returned. Leaving the base was a mistake. Now they would all know what Hydra did.

"Right, we'll start working right away," Tony added after receiving a look from Pepper.

Once Tony and Bruce were gone the room was left in awkward silence.

"I'm headed for a jog if anyone's interested," Steve suddenly announced.

"Can I go?" Emma suddenly asked.

She wanted to get out of the tower. True she could just use it as a chance to escape. But the Avengers would only find her again. Plus she had no one else to run to, unless she was willing to return with Hydra. Something in the back of her mind told her that wasn't such a good idea.

"I don't see why not," he replied with a shrug. "Are you sure you can keep up?" Emma rolled her eyes when she noticed the smirk playing on his face.

"So the good Captain has a sense of humor after all," she said with a grin.

Steve smiled back before leading the way down to the elevator.

"You sure she can be trusted?" Sam's shout followed shortly after. Emma felt her face burn when she realized that he didn't trust her, and understandably so.

It was just as well, she couldn't bring herself to trust him. All of the horror stories she had heard from Hydra still made her feel uncomfortable and nervous, even though the Avengers had welcomed her with open arms.

Steve looked at her critically before giving a faint nod.

"Yeah, I think so," he replied.

For the first time since she had arrived at the tower, a small spark of hope flared within her. The Avengers could bring it in themselves to trust her the moment she arrived. And she felt the same way. But now someone did trust her.

* * *

><p>The first taste of fresh air had felt more refreshing than Emma would ever admit. Steve had decided to take her to his favorite place; Central Park. To her this place was beautiful, with elegant looking wrought iron fences, cleared paths and several different ways to go.<p>

She thought the best stop was the Central Park Zoo.

To her the animals were the most fascinating creatures she had ever seen. True she had seen pictures of these creatures in the Hydra base. But seeing them in person was even better.

"Thank you," she whispered when they stopped for ice cream. It was her first taste of the frozen ice, and she loved it. Steve had suggested mint chocolate chip, and she had no regrets trying it.

"I thought you could use a break from the tower," he admitted.

Emma found it difficult to understand why Steve trusted her so much. Even though they had a heart to heart a couple of days ago, she still didn't find it safe to trust him with her deepest secrets. Yet here he was, willing to let her go and have the freedom a child with a normal family would.

"So... what was it like, when you woke up from that ice?" Emma had been wanting to ask the question, but she didn't have the heart to search his mind for the answers.

If there was one thing she had learned from her powers, it was that they had dangerous consequences. She wouldn't search for someone's memory unless she asked for permission.

"It was tough," he explained after giving his answer some thought. "Waking up in today's world, it was like a dream. At first I thought it was a dream, until Fury told me what happened."

"Wow, that must have been difficult."

She looked at the ground in front of her thoughtfully. Truthfully she knew a little of what that was like. Following Natasha and Clint out of the base had been a shock for her. Sometimes she still wondered if this was just a dream. The only signs of reality were when she felt pain.

"We should probably get back."

Emma looked up in surprise to see that it was already getting late. She found it difficult to keep track of how fast time moved now. Bruce had reassured her that overtime she would get used to it. She was still hoping that he was right.


	7. Surprise Return

**Chapter Seven**

_**Surprise Return**_

"Running test number 3." Tony eyed the device warily before pressing the button.

Three times they had tried creating a successful device that retrieved memories. Unfortunately the first two test results had ended with miserable failure. The lab still held some of the smoke from an explosion caused by the first test run.

He was hopeful this one would show a little more success.

Bruce stood far away, wearing protective goggles while the test was running. Everything seemed to be working smoothly, until an image appeared on the small monitor they had hooked up to the machine. That was when the machine itself started to smoke.

"Sir, it appears as though something has malfunctioned with the wiring," JARVIS announced. Tony pulled off the goggles and let out a sigh of frustration.

At the rate this was going they would never get this finished. But he had promised Pepper that they could build such a machine. If they were successful imagine all the other people who could benefit from such a device?

"Great, got any other ideas?"

"If it was just the wiring that malfunctioned than it shouldn't be that tough to fix," Bruce pointed out.

Tony gave him a scowl when he realized the doctor was smirking in amusement. It was rare for anyone to see Bruce in this kind of mood.

"Let's call it a day for now." Getting frustrated over the issue wasn't going to get them anywhere. Besides, they had bigger things to worry about for the moment.

* * *

><p>Emma was eating a small bowl of cereal when Tony and Bruce joined her. Steve was down in the gym while Sam surfed through the channels on TV. It was still unclear as to when Natasha and Clint would return. Emma was getting worried that they might not return, just like Hydra.<p>

She shook her head at the compelling thought. If everyone else believed they would return than maybe she needed to believe it too.

"Hey kid, mind if we talk?" She looked at Tony in surprise when he sat beside her.

'_Hopefully she won't take this the wrong way_.'

She narrowed her eyes before saying yes.

"Why don't you like using your bed?" His question caught her by surprise once again. For the last few days now she had not been using her bed. And Tony didn't miss it.

"I'm sorry... The bed is just too comfortable," she admitted guiltily. This time it was Tony's turn to look at her in surprise. She had braced herself for the punishment that might follow. It was possible that Tony might take his frustration out on her. Many of the Hydra guards had done that when they got frustrated.

"Too comfortable?"

"When I was at the base we didn't have beds to sleep on," Emma quickly explained. "All we had were our rooms, and the clothes on our back. But it wasn't all bad."

Tony nodded in understanding. He couldn't imagine not having a bed to sleep on. Then again his time in Afghanistan had taught him what it was like.

"Well, I'm here to tell you that the mattress is only going to feel like heaven if you sleep on it," he reassured her. "And believe me, I should know." Emma eyed him cautiously before she realized he was telling her the truth.

"Alright, I suppose I can give it a try," she murmured thoughtfully.

Thankfully he left her alone after that. Emma went back to watching the latest news until an alarm sounded from JARVIS. She put the television on mute when she heard who was at the tower's entrance.

"Sir, agents Romanoff and Barton have returned from their mission," the AI explained.

"Let them in," Tony ordered after narrowing his eyes in surprise.

'_Let's hope they found something useful_.' Emma looked on warily, wondering what he meant by that. She knew that Natasha and Clint had been called off to search an empty Hydra base. Or what the Avengers had thought was abandoned, like the one she was found in. Had Hydra left others like her?

The elevator door to the penthouse opened up shortly after. Emma's eyes widened when she saw the pair for the first time in days.

They looked exhausted. Like they had been awake for days on end. Emma wondered for a moment what had happened. She desperately wanted to read their minds to find out, but she backed off of the idea. If it was a secret mission than they had kept it secret for a reason.

_Can I really trust them though_? she wondered.

"Looks like you went through hell and back," Tony greeted them with a grin. Natasha shot him a look that sent daggers through any other man. Fortunately for Tony he could take just about any glare. "So did you find anything?"

"We found an empty base," Clint replied after a few seconds had followed.

"But we did manage to find these." Tony's eyes widened when Natasha handed him a bag full of folders and files. Emma watched them curiously when she realized that they were folders on some of the experiments Hydra had worked on.

"Good, we can look them over tonight." Emma knew Tony was looking at her; she had turned around just after realizing what those files were for.

She was instantly curious as to what they would discuss. If Hydra had kept her for all of her life, than they had to have files of her past. But that was only if everyone else had the right theory. Emma still wasn't sure what to make of having her memory wiped.

"It's good to see you again Emma." She flinched when she heard footsteps approaching. Looking up Emma noticed that her earlier assumption had been wrong. They only looked more unsettled than anything else.

"Did you really not find anything in that base?" she asked warily. Truthfully she didn't want to read anyone's mind unless she was given permission. Unfortunately things never worked out that way.

"You're more than welcome to join us for that debriefing," Natasha pointed out. Clint nodded in agreement before heading to the hallway where the rooms were located. Emma watched them in surprise as they both left.

"Really?" She looked at Tony once they were gone. He simply folded his arms as if to ask why she was arguing with their invitation.

'_What do you think, kid_?'

"They were sent on that mission to find out more information on you, and the rest of those experiments," he explained. "That's why they were gone for so long."

Emma looked at Tony with a new understanding. That would explain why they had found so many files. Maybe they could stop the experiments from even starting, or put an end to Hydra's terror on younger children.

"Thank you," was all she could murmur.

She wasn't expecting them to trust her so easily to join such important meetings.

Without hesitation she followed Tony down the stairs to where meetings were held. About a day ago he had given her the full tour of where the Avengers stayed in the tower. All of the other floors were where people from Stark Industries worked. Emma was still trying to wrap that around her mind as well. She had already read many of the employees' minds and regretted doing so. Some were working for their families, and others to gain further insight on what Tony was designing.

Emma was shaken from her thoughts when she reached the debriefing room. Everyone was already situated in their seats, looking a bit put off by her arrival. Tony only patted her on the shoulder before gesturing to a nearby empty seat. She held back a sigh and made her way over, sitting between Natasha and Clint.

"So, this is what you've managed to find so far." Steve was looking through the pictures they'd managed to take. The base had been emptied out for the most part. Emma could see even from this distance though that some of the medical and lab equipment had stayed behind.

"According to our resources there has been a lot of activity outside of Chicago," Natasha explained. "I have a feeling that activity may be one of Hydra's latest bases." She gave Emma a wary look just when Tony turned on the screen behind him.

"I'm willing to bet that Hydra wants us to find those experiments," he suddenly told them. Emma looked at him in surprise once again. Hydra had left her behind, but what if there was a reason behind their abandonment?

She shook her head after realizing that she probably didn't want to know those answers. Hydra had a reason for everything. The experiments were part of a much bigger plot they had in mind. Emma had learned that a long time ago during her time in the base.

"If they're doing what I think they're doing, than we need to put a stop to their work," Steve pointed out. The look everyone gave him said it all. They had been thinking the same thing. Emma couldn't shake off the feeling that things were about to get worse, for all of them.

"So we strike them first," Clint piped up. He was leaning against the back of his seat, looking more bored than anything else. But it was obvious that he was just as worried as everyone else. The archer didn't show it as much.

"That's a bit risky, don't you think?" Sam pointed out. Throughout the whole meeting he'd remained silent, but now he was voicing his opinion. Emma had noticed that he seemed a bit quiet around the others. It was like he didn't exactly fit in with the Avengers. The only reason he was here was because he had helped Steve and Natasha during the time SHIELD was taken down.

"Not if we have someone who can predict what they're about to do." Emma flinched when all eyes turned on her. She didn't want any part in their planning, and yet somehow she had gotten involved. They knew what she was capable of now. "Look kid, I know this isn't something you were prepared for, but it could be something to consider," Tony added. Emma scowled at him. They just wanted another useful weapon.

"I won't be used as a weapon," she declared. She straightened up and met Tony's piercing gaze, not at all intimidated by his appearance. Once perhaps she might have backed away or feared the worst. But this was where she put her foot down. "Hydra's made me do terrible things, and I won't be using the same methods on anyone else."

She bit the bottom of her lip after realizing what she had said. There were so many things she had forgotten while at the base. But they all continued haunting her in her sleep. Dreams quickly became nightmares during the night. It often made her think of what she could do to Hydra after the way they treated her and the other experiments. And she knew that in her sleep she could do terrible things with her powers.

When she was asleep she had no control over them. Hydra had taught her how to take control of a human being. She had used those powers to kill. She would never forget the horrified screams of the people she had murdered. The blood on her hands could not be washed away through time.

"Emma, I'm going to ask you to calm down." Emma flinched once again when a hand was placed on her shoulder. She looked up in surprise when she realized the furniture in the room started moving around. "We aren't going to make you do something you don't like," Natasha reassured her. She shot Tony a look as if daring him to argue. Thankfully he only held his hands up to defend himself.

"Alright, alright. Fine," he muttered. "We'll do this the hard way."

Emma let out a sigh of relief and leaned against the back of her seat. Joining them for this meeting may have turned into a disaster. But at least she managed to stand up for herself for the first time in her life. All she could do now was hope that Stark wouldn't go after her for revenge.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yay for longer chapters! :) I tend to range in my writing between 1k and 2k.<strong>

**Littleheartache - Thanks for reviewing! They're always appreciated, and I'm glad that you're enjoying the story :)**


	8. A Choice Must Be Made

**Chapter Eight**

_**A Choice Must Be Made**_

Emma found herself sitting at the top of the roof, watching the sunset. She had already witnessed the spectacle several times now, and even still it amazed her. Her mind was working overtime as she thought of what had happened back in the meeting room. Had Natasha not calmed her down, she could have killed someone without realizing it. How many times had she done this before? Had Hydra wiped away those memories as well?

She realized with deep regret that following Clint and Natasha had come with a price. Now that the Avengers knew of her powers and what she could do with them, they wanted to use her. Just like Hydra had all those days ago. To them she was just another tool.

'_What are we going to do now_?'

'_We can't just sit here and wait for Hydra to make their next move_!'

'_I'll bet she's still on their side_.'

Her stomach churned with pain when she heard that thought. She didn't know whose side she was on. She wanted to help people, not hurt them. And yet there were people that she wanted to hurt. If Hydra had taken away her memories than what had happened to the other experiments?

The sound of footsteps told her that Clint was approaching. She heard his thoughts loud and clear. He didn't like the idea of using anyone as a weapon. Of all the people in the tower, Natasha, Clint and Steve were the few she actually trusted. Natasha always had some way of blocking out her thoughts, while Clint's were loud enough for someone without telepathy to hear. And Steve was just…. She didn't know what to think of him.

"You okay?" Clint sat down beside her, watching the skyscrapers curiously as she wrapped her arms around her legs.

"I don't know," she admitted. Guilt stabbed at her heart when she realized how long she had been away from the penthouse. The team hadn't even bothered following her when she ran out of the meeting room. All she wanted was time to think, and she had gotten her wish. "Do you think I'm making the right choice, by refusing to go with their plan?" she suddenly asked.

Clint looked at her thoughtfully before giving an answer. She had to keep herself from reading his mind.

"Truthfully, I think it would be useful to have powers like yours," he explained. "We'd have the advantage over Hydra if they tried attacking first."

Emma flinched when she realized that he had a good point. Hearing it from someone else made her suddenly wish she hadn't reacted the way she did. She was so used to having someone give her orders and follow them. Now that she had the freedom to make her own decisions, it was difficult to decide what was right or wrong.

"I wish there was an easier way," she sighed out loud. Clint looked at her in confusion before she explained what she had been thinking. Just another thing she had gotten used to; not having to voice her thoughts. Hydra didn't care one way or the other how she felt. As long as she got the job done, that was what mattered. Thankfully Clint nodded in understanding when he realized what the problem was.

"It's gonna take time getting used to that kind of freedom," he told her. "Just remember that if you need any help with anything, you're more than welcome to ask."

She studied him carefully when he said that. He was telling her the truth. Every part of her instinct and training in Hydra had taught her to fear those who offered their help. She wasn't supposed to ask questions or ask someone for help. Asking such was a sign of weakness.

"Thank you," she murmured.

It was at that point she realized her decision was made. She needed to make sure that Hydra didn't hurt anyone else like her again. Even if that meant putting her life at risk, and her powers.

Satisfied with the choice she had made, she followed Clint back to the penthouse. To her surprise everyone was waiting, as if they had known something like this would happen. Her eyes narrowed with suspicion when she realized that was the case.

"Look, I wanted to… apologize for the way I acted earlier." She looked down at the floor in embarrassment as all eyes fell on her. "I was just—" Tony cut her off by holding up his hand. Emma flinched under his stare as she awaited the punishment that would follow.

"Seriously kid, you need to relax," he told her. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm the one who should be apologizing." Emma gaped at him in surprise as he grinned sheepishly. "I shouldn't have pushed you back there."

"You're not… mad at me?" she nearly squeaked. She hated it when that happened. Her voice only squeaked when she got nervous or excited. This happened to be one of those times.

"Of course not," he reassured her.

"I…. Maybe I wasn't thinking right when I said I wouldn't help out," she admitted. She was surprised by the amount of guilt in her voice. "It would be good to make sure that Hydra isn't hurting anyone else like me."

"Are you sure?" Sam asked. He raised an eyebrow in surprise when she looked at him calmly. Despite the growing fear in her chest, she couldn't shake off the feeling that she _needed_ to help them. It wasn't just Tony's plea that had effected her decision.

"Yes," she replied in a firm tone.

She didn't miss the look flashing in his eyes. Clearly he wasn't expecting her to make up her mind so quickly. She found it difficult to understand this man. He felt so left out compared to the rest of the Avengers. The only way he stood apart was when he used that machine to fly.

"Alright, we can pull this off if we work together," Steve explained.

"Hydra's already going to have the place heavily guarded," Natasha pointed out. "If we can knock out the guards from the outside and take out communications, the rest should be pretty easy."

"Right, and that's where you'll come in," Tony said to Emma. She shifted uncomfortably when she realized that she was the center of attention once more. "If you could possibly knock out the guards from a distance that would be better. JARVIS can hack into their security system easily."

"As always sir," the AI replied immediately.

"You know, JARVIS doesn't get nearly the credit he deserves," Clint suddenly spoke up.

Emma stifled a laugh when everyone looked at him with annoyed expressions. She was expecting him to say something like that.'_Right, I'll be sure to build him a girlfriend when I've got time_.' By now Emma was grinning ear to ear. It was the first time in a long time she had ever felt the urge to laugh.

"Anyways, after that it should be smooth sailing from there," Tony said out loud. "Bruce, you gonna sit this one out?" He glanced at the doctor as Bruce started rubbing his forehead.

'_Going to a place like that would only put their lives in danger_,' he thought. Emma could understand why he was so afraid. Though she had never seen the Hulk in action she knew from the stories she heard that he was dangerous.

"I can stay here with Pepper and keep an eye on the monitors for you," he suggested. "If anything I should be able to help work on that memory machine."

"Got it." Tony glanced at everyone else and shrugged. "So, when should we leave?"

"I'd say tomorrow," Steve replied without hesitation. "That gives us a bit of time to get ready."

Eventually the others murmured in agreement while Emma remained silent throughout their discussion. This would be her first mission with the Avengers. She wasn't sure if this was something she looked forward to, or dreaded. Only time would tell if she had made the right choice.


	9. Morning Preparation

**Chapter Nine**

_**Morning Preparation**_

_By the time she got to bed she was exhausted. Unfortunately her dreams wouldn't let her get very much sleep. In her dreams she had been younger, sitting on a stool with a guard glaring down at her. She could see from the badge on his vest that he was a Hydra guard. Her dream self had looked terrified, like she had committed the worst crime ever. And in Hydra's eyes that was very possible._

_"Do you think you are above us?" he demanded after slapping his hand across her face. She was struggling not to cry at the pain. By now she had gotten used to it. This guard was tough on all of the experiments. But for some reason he took his anger out on her the most. "Answer me you bitch!" he screamed._

_"No!" she cried after he his hand against the back of her head. The motion left her teeth grinding as she lurched forward._

_"You're nothing but a submissive rat," he sneered with a smirk of triumph. "I'll give you that much." By now she was crying. She could taste the blood in her mouth as he did everything humanly possible to taunt and torture her._

_She hated this man. There weren't enough words to describe how much she hated him. All she wanted was for him to leave and let her wounds be treated. But apparently that wasn't going to happen any time soon. None of the other guards had noticed how much time he spent with her, much less cared._

_After what felt like hours, Emma was finally left alone in the wake of her torture. The guard had put her back in her room once he was finished. He had promised that if she told anyone what he did, he would make it worse. She wasn't even sure what could make her life any worse than this, but she didn't want to know._

_It wasn't until her second time with the guard that she lost control. She was too angry and terrified to realize what had happened at the time. He was drunk and hadn't thought much of what he was doing to her. She wouldn't talk about those dark times, and they were memories she had almost forgotten. Finally she had used her powers to stop him, forcing the guard to fall on his knees in shame. That was when she had killed him. She lost control and managed to crush both his body and spirit with her powers._

* * *

><p>Emma woke with a start when she realized that she was gasping for breath. Her heart was still pounding with fear at the nightmare. No, it was more than just a nightmare. She could still hear that chilling scream as the man's skull was crushed from the inside out.<p>

_I have blood on my hands_, she thought bitterly. By now the beating of her heart had finally calmed down. But the moment of panic was still there – it was like watching the scene over and over again without being able to do anything.

She looked at the clock to see that it was only five in the morning. The team would be leaving by eight in the morning if all went according to plan. This was the first time she had ever gone a mission. Even at the Hydra base they had kept her there. They had said that if she passed a few more tests they would let her go, and join the other experiments.

Time was going to move slowly now that she was awake. Emma decided to take a shower and get ready before everyone else woke up. The group would be splitting into two teams – one consisted of Tony, Sam and Steve. The other consisted of Natasha, Clint and Emma herself. It made sense that she would be placed with them. She felt more comfortable around Natasha and Clint, whereas the others made her feel out of place.

_Steve is really the only one who's talked to me as a friend_, she realized. She shook her head at the thought and decided to put it aside for now. At the moment there was no time for distraction. Once the mission was at hand she would need to focus her attention on the enemy.

With those thoughts aside she managed to spend the rest of her morning practicing her abilities. Her thoughts reached out to people beyond the tower, to those living in the nearby skyscrapers. To her surprise she could sense that hundreds of people were already awake. Some were either getting ready for work or school. Others had only just gotten back from their night shifts. The ones getting ready for school caught her interest.

Because of her time spent in Hydra she had never gone to a proper school. Experiments were placed in rooms and taught the lessons they needed in the real world. Emma had only ever spoken to one or two experiments in her class at the time. They weren't exactly friends, with the exception of Crawler.

"Hey, you awake kid?" Emma jumped at the knock that sounded. She had finished getting dressed and was sitting on her bed. Surprisingly Tony was right about it being comfortable. The bed was just a different type of comfort.

"Yes," she answered after pulling her hair back into a ponytail. She would have to get it cut soon. It was seconds later when the door opened. Her eyes lit up when she saw Clint leaning against the doorway.

"We're having breakfast before we leave, you joining us?" She nodded eagerly at the prospect of food.

She was struggling to keep her thoughts from running overtime at this point. After her fiasco in the meeting room, she didn't want to lose control again.

Bowls of cereal were already waiting at the dining table. Emma sat down between Steve and Clint as the two got in a heated discussion as to how the mission would unfold. Emma listened intently despite her previous fear. She wanted to ensure that they all made it out safely. If they were willing to risk their lives just to help get her memories back, than she knew they could be trusted.

"Clint, you have enough trouble following orders as it is," Natasha suddenly pointed out. They had been discussing who would be giving the orders during the mission. At one point Clint had suggested naming himself team leader, to which just about everyone rolled their eyes. Emma smothered her laughter when she saw the look on Clint's face. He looked genuinely hurt by their reactions.

"Alright, no need to state the obvious," he muttered crossly.

"Besides, if anyone's going to lead the team it's gonna be Rogers," Tony added once he joined them. For the first time in days Pepper had joined them as well. Emma didn't miss the look of worry in her eyes. "He's got the most experience in these type of situations, next to Romanoff." Natasha only glared at Tony when he pointed her out.

'_What if he gets killed in the battle_? _Or worse_?' Pepper's thoughts were loud and clear. She was worried that something would happen to Tony, and understandably so. He may be Iron Man but he certainly wasn't invincible. She had already almost lost him three times too many.

"How exactly are we going to get there?" Emma finally spoke up.

"Well, I thought it would be fun to go in style," Tony said with a smirk.

"Are we taking the Quinjet?" Sam asked. Tony shook his head, the smirk on face growing bigger. Emma tilted her head to one side until she heard his thoughts. Suddenly she could understand why he was so excited.

"I've got something even better in mind," he replied.

...

As soon as everyone was finished with breakfast Tony did have a good reason to lead them down to the landing pad. Everyone stared at the new ride in disbelief. It resembled that of the Quinjet, only it was much bigger to accommodate people like the Hulk. The paint was a mixture of red, white and blue with a little Iron Man flare designed with it.

"So this is what you've been working on all those nights." Pepper was the first to speak up, though she sounded more annoyed than impressed.

"Hey, I couldn't sleep," he replied with a sheepish grin. "I build things when I can't sleep."

"So you couldn't work on the memory machine during that time?" Bruce muttered.

"Yeah well, we needed a ship that can actually have everyone from the team fit in it," Tony pointed out. "The best part is it has the same tech as the Helicarrier, which means we can blend in with anything now."

"Well that will make missions easier," Natasha scoffed. But she was impressed with the sight, and the fact that Tony had managed to pull off that stunt. Emma could read it clearly in her thoughts.

"Alright; team's leaving in thirty minutes," Steve announced once everything was settled. "Get yourselves ready, and meet up here."

At that point Emma was already eager to get started. Most of her things had been packed since she didn't really have that much to offer. All she had were her powers and a few fighting moves that Hydra had taught her. Everything else would have to come naturally.

Meanwhile everyone else gathered their weapons and devices that would help them during the mission. Clint grabbed an extra set of arrows just in case, while Natasha made sure that her pistols had enough ammo. Tony fixed a few more kinks in the latest Iron Man suit after making sure Sam's Falcon armor was fully equipped.

All in all it seemed that everyone was ready. This mission would be a dangerous one, especially if there were more experiments like Emma involved. She only hoped there was a way to keep the Avengers and the experiments from fighting one another. But she had a feeling that Hydra would ensure that war followed, whether the Avengers were prepared for it or not.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Next chapter will finally have some excitement XD This was more of a filler than anything else, but you gotta have some at least, right? :P<strong>

**ImKindSHERloki'd - Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! :)**

**skylaeatpie - Thank you, your review is appreciated!**


	10. Test Your Courage

**Chapter Ten**

_**Test Your Courage**_

It didn't take them long to reach the base outside of Chicago. Surprisingly the base was out in the open, similar to the one Emma was kept in all of those years. It looked like a normal warehouse with the employees running in and out at certain points of the day. But Emma hadn't missed the weapons they were carrying. Given the fact that this was supposed to be a factory, they were well armed.

She, Clint and Natasha were standing at the top of a hill to avoid getting caught. Guards were on constant watch as far as Emma could see. From her viewpoint she could see that there were even guards posted at the top of the building. Hydra knew they were being watched, and had prepared themselves as well.

"There's got to be fifty guards out there, tops," she reported after backing down. The last thing she wanted was to get caught.

"And probably more inside," Natasha muttered. "Tony, have you shut down their security yet?" she asked through the com.

They were all given earpieces to communicate with one another. Emma had her powers though and could communicate without them. But Tony had given her one anyways, just in case Hydra had some way to block out her powers.

"I'm working on it, give me a minute!" came the quick response.

"You know what to do," Clint told Emma as she readied herself.

_I do know what to do_, she thought grimly. _I just don't want to do it_.

She focused her thoughts on the guards outside first. Most of them were wary of trespassers. A few had only taken this job in order to support their families. They didn't realize the risk involved with their work. She found herself frowning when she realized how naive most of these guards were.

With a shake of her head she forced back the thoughts that were threatening to overwhelm her. This was just what Hydra wanted. They knew who she was and what she could do, if they knew that she was still alive.

In less than a minute half of the guards outside were already taken down. Emma closed her eyes and forced back the fact that they were not dead, but knocked out cold. Soon the other guards fell down shortly after, along with the ones standing on the roof.

"Not bad Emma," Natasha stated once they were down. Her eyes opened to see the work she had done. Sure enough the warehouse was left unguarded, as far as she was concerned.

"Security's down as well," Sam announced through the com. "I'm checking the perimeter to make sure there aren't any surprises." Emma looked up to see that Sam was flying across the sky in his Falcon suit.

Emma found herself staring down at the warehouse, her thoughts suddenly shaken by a terrible scream. Her eyes narrowed as she focused on the noise. Soon she found herself strapped to a chair, confused and alone in a room surrounded by cement walls. Her only escape route was blocked by two guards that were watching her with interest.

Her breath caught in her throat when she realized what was happening. Hydra had another experiment locked in that room. A newborn experiment, and one that would likely be let loose on the Avengers. Newborns were at their strongest, and many had died as a result of their powers.

"What's wrong?" Clint suddenly asked. Emma looked at him in surprise before explaining the predicament they were in. She didn't want any experiments hurt if they weren't loyal to Hydra. The difficult part was figuring that one out. Once they were out of the base Emma could search their minds and make sure they weren't loyal, and give them a second chance at life. "Well, this just got a hell of a lot more interesting," he muttered through his earpiece.

"Alright, keep an eye out for any newborns," Tony suddenly ordered. "Steve, are you in yet?" After disabling the security it was Steve's job to make sure that the guards inside were taken down next. Once that task was finished Natasha's team had to find the files and any experiments that were in the base.

"Most of the guards inside are down," Steve replied. "Wait, did you say newborns?" Emma flinched when she heard the sound of a loud clang. "Too late." She listened on as the fighting continued for the next five minutes. It was difficult not to just jump in and fight back. "That's the last of them, you guys are up," Steve announced minutes later.

Emma let out a sigh of relief before following the others down the slope. By now a fierce wind had picked up, and of course it started raining. She had to concentrate on what lay inside rather than the outside area. The guards on the ground were asleep, not dead.

'_What's going on out there_?'

'_Why are they keeping us locked up_?'

'_We should be out there, not locked up in here_!'

Voices suddenly screamed in her head. Emma had to stop herself short at the force of their voices. It was like a throbbing headache that refused to go away. To make matters worse it seemed that the place was swarming with Hydra scientists or agents.

'_Take down the Avengers, they have one of our kind_!'

"Stop right there!" Emma's heart was pounding with terror when she realized she was surrounded. Somehow she had gotten separated from Natasha and Clint. Her eyes widened in panic at the sight of a familiar face. "Why if it isn't my favorite experiment, I was wondering where you scampered off to," he sneered.

All guns were aimed and pointed at her. Emma looked around wildly for any possible escape routes. The nearest exit was blocked by a soldier, who looked particularly interested in her.

"Hydra abandoned me!" she shouted after throwing the first guard into another. Their bodies landed on the ground in a sickening thud, causing the other soldiers to back away fearfully. "Why should I trust the likes of you?"

"My darling," the commander began with a shake of his head. "That was simply a test, to see how you would cope with survival on your own."

Emma wanted to snort in disgust at how foolish he must think she was. She could easily read his thoughts and see that he was lying. Tony must have hacked into their security to shut down whatever they used to block her out. The commander simply smiled as if he was expecting her to welcome him with open arms.

"I've seen what you did to the other experiments," she snapped. "The Avengers gave me more than just a second chance." She flinched when the commander laughed in response. By now more soldiers had replaced the ones she knocked out earlier. At the rate this was going she would never get out, not with the Avengers at least.

"The Avengers; they have been feeding you lies," he retorted. "To them you are merely a tool, and once they have what they need they will toss you away."

She forced back the urge to shout something back. True she hadn't spent that much time with them. The only reason they asked to take her on this mission was because of her powers. She knew that if she didn't have these powers, she would be useless to them.

"Besides, Hydra created you," he added in a sneer. "We _own_ you."

This time anger replaced the uncertainty she felt moments earlier. One of the guns the soldiers held on to suddenly flew in the air. The commander looked at her in shock as she started pulling the trigger. She belonged to no one. Hydra may have taught her that way of life, but she knew better.

"Emma, don't!" It was too late. The trigger suddenly pulled back. Steve tried pushing her to the side but the gun was still hovering in the air. That was when she realized what had happened. Her heart nearly skipped a beat when the commander dropped dead to the floor. By now the rest of his squad had fled or was taken down by Captain America.

"Steve?" Her vision was blurred by the anger she felt earlier. But she had already seen the damage she caused.

"What happened?" he demanded after helping her up.

"H-He…. I don't know." Emma hadn't realized until now that she was shaking with fear. "I couldn't control it." Her voice came out to a whisper as she locked gazes with Steve. He was already suffering from minor injuries, whereas she only had a cut or two from the soldiers attacking her.

"It's alright, they're gone now," he reassured her. She flinched once again when he said that. It wasn't like she had wanted to kill him. The anger she felt towards him had pulled the trigger, she had to keep telling herself that now.


	11. Taken Down

**Chapter Eleven**

_**Taken Down**_

"I've got Emma," Steve announced through his earpiece. "Widow, Hawkeye, where are you?"

The building was a mess, to say the least. Guards were everywhere, either dead or trying to flee the enemy. Emma couldn't remember the last time she had seen such chaos. To make matters worse the team was separated.

Tony and Sam had managed to keep the outside perimeter secure, but the inside wasn't so easy. Emma had to keep her thoughts focused throughout the entire fight. She had already killed someone and the last thing she wanted was to be responsible for another death.

"Heading East in your direction," Natasha replied soon after. Emma stiffened when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

"Steve." She tugged at his sleeve, realizing that it wasn't Clint and Natasha who were approaching them. She didn't know who it was, but the angry voices told her that they were ready for a fight. He looked at her in concern, but by than it was too late.

Out of nowhere it seemed, a forcefield was thrown in their direction. Steve tried blocking the attack with his shield, but it was too powerful. Emma held back a cry of shock when she felt something painful hit her in the ribs. It was worse than the bite of a snake, like needles piercing her skin.

"Hello Experiment," a voice sneered. Emma's teeth ground together as she looked up at the speaker. To her surprise it was a boy around her age, looking down at her with a smirk. "Master's been missing you," he added once he had her attention.

"Master abandoned me." Despite the anger she felt her voice was weak. She_ felt_ weak, like someone had drugged her. She realized too late what this experiment was doing. Some of them had the power to knock the enemy out by using what Hydra had called venom. But she had a feeling that it was somehow connected with their mind. Right now she could hardly move a muscle.

"It was a test," another voice joined in. Emma flinched when she recognized Crawler joining them. "Master wanted to see if you could survive on your own," she explained. "And he was right."

"Crawler, I thought—" Her old friend cut her off with a wave of her hand, looking more disgusted than anything else.

"My name is not Crawler," she snapped. "It was a childish name. Master gave me a new one when I passed the test." She smiled proudly before saying her name, and for the first time Emma saw something other than fear in her eyes. "My name is Allison Lee."

Emma looked at her skeptically, suddenly wondering why she was so proud of that sort of name. True it did sound kind of pretty, but it wasn't something she would be proud of. She raised her chin to make sure they didn't hurt Steve. The forcefield had knocked him out somehow.

"What does Master plan on doing with me?" she demanded.

"What all experiments are created for," the boy retorted. He narrowed his eyes, and suddenly Emma found herself growing weaker. "Master knows how close you are to the Avengers. He wants to use that against them."

She was about to make a retort when the world started going dark. The last thing she saw was the boy and Allison's face looking down at her. They were taking her back to Master, and that was the last thing she wanted now.

* * *

><p>It took a while for her to open her eyes. An intense pain shot through her neck when her vision began to focus. She blinked a few times so that she could see where she was.<p>

To her surprise she found herself in what looked like a medical room. A lab table was placed in the center of the room, along with several counters with lab equipment. She herself was chained to the wall. No matter how hard she struggled she couldn't free herself from the chains.

She tried using her powers to break her restraints. Her eyes widened in disbelief when she realized she couldn't focus on the object.

"Your powers will not work here, experiment 1661," a voice sneered. "This cell blocks the power of all experiments."

"My name isn't—" Emma was cut off as he slapped his hand across her face. Another bolt of pain shot through her as he stepped back, scowling in disgust. Instead of fighting back she coward in the corner, realizing that there was no chance of escape at the moment.

"It appears as though your time with the Avengers has dulled your senses, weakling," he snapped. "No matter, our reprogramming system will ensure that you remember nothing of your time with them."

Emma couldn't help but glare at him. She had heard rumors of experiments getting reprogrammed if they showed signs of betrayal. But reprogramming was a crude and dangerous operation. Emma knew from rumors that some experiments had died because of it.

"What did you do with the others?" she demanded.

"Your companions are safe, for now," he replied. "But once we are finished with you, they will wish they had never met you."

Emma flinched when she realized that he was probably right. The Avengers would never trust her again when this was over. To make matters worse Hydra would find themselves another weapon. She had to find a way out of this. Even if it meant risking her life.


	12. Hydra's Secret Army

**Chapter Twelve**

_**Hydra's Secret Army**_

Emma struggled against her restraints despite the situation she was in. Hydra had locked her in a separate room. She wasn't sure where they had put her since the little meeting with that guard. The soldiers had ensured that she was drugged before they moved her away. Now that she was awake she could see what they had done to her. The pain from earlier had returned moments after waking up, along with blurred vision.

All of the hope she had felt days ago when the Avengers found her was crushed in an instant. Hydra had found her again thanks to them. And now they were going to do far worse than they had before. She huddled against the walls and tried wrapping her arms around her legs. The shackles around her wrist made that almost impossible, and she was forced to sit in an uncomfortable position while waiting for something to happen.

She looked up in alarm as the door swung open. A man stood between the doorway, blocking her only exit. At this point she had no chance for escape; her powers did not work here, try as she might to use them.

"Welcome to the Lab, rat," he sneered. Emma couldn't help but glare at the guard as he raised his gun at her. If Hydra was willing to kill her than she wouldn't mind. Anything was better than the torture they were about to put her through. "So, you gonna come quietly or am I gonna have to tase you again?"

His question left her mind reeling with unease. So Hydra didn't want her dead. She wanted to know why. What made her so different from the countless others they'd killed? He didn't give her the chance as he reached out for her arm. If she had the strength she would have bitten his hand. All she could do now was glare at him as he unhooked her shackles while holding on to her arm with a strong grip. Before they moved he placed a bag over her head, covering her eyes from what lay ahead of her.

"Hydra's been waiting for you to return, lab rat," he explained. "Thought for sure you'd be dead after we got out of the last base. But when we heard one experiment was still alive, it gave us a little hope." By now they started walking; Emma wasn't sure where but it sounded like an underground tunnel. "But weren't we surprised to hear that our little experiment ended up with the Avengers?"

Emma refused to speak as they continued going further down. She wouldn't give him the pleasure of realizing that she was afraid, or angry. Emotions in this place were pointless. Hydra only cared whether or not things got taken care of quickly and accurately.

"It wasn't all a loss though," he continued rambling on. "Now that you have gained their trust, this will make things much easier for us."

She dreaded the day she found out what he meant by that. If he was saying what she thought he was saying, she would rather die. True the Avengers were the reason she had been put back in Hydra's hands, but they did take her in. They gave her a place she could call home.

The temperature suddenly started to drop as they started going uphill again. Emma found herself shivering at the sudden cold. She could already hear the voices of those who were trapped behind closed doors nearby.

_Are those the other experiments_? she couldn't help but wonder. What was Hydra planning on doing with them? Her thoughts were shaken when someone shoved her forward. She was tempted to snap something over her shoulder when she thought better of it.

"Welcome back, my dear Emma." Her heart nearly skipped a beat when the sound of a familiar voice echoed off the walls. She had only heard this voice once or twice, but knew it well. Once the bag was removed she could get a good view of the man standing in front of her. "I have missed you so very much since your disappearance."

Emma found herself staring at the face of a lion. Well, not literally. His name was Shaw, otherwise known as Commander Shaw. Everyone at the base had feared him. Of all the Commanders in Hydra's army, he was the fiercest and least compassionate. What made him stand out was the fact that he was one of Baron Von Strucker's (otherwise known as Master) most loyal Commanders.

"You didn't come looking for me," she snapped after she was pushed onto the floor. All of the anger she felt earlier suddenly came rushing back. She had almost died because of these men. More than once to make matters worse. And she had trusted them.

"Of course we didn't," Shaw retorted. His voice had nearly risen to a shout, causing her to stumble backwards at the force. "Of course not," he repeated himself. "I was simply, running a test. To see how you would survive in a situation like that. Just as your friend Allison explained."

"Why would you leave me for so long?" she demanded. By now her voice had dropped as fear gripped her heart. She already had a feeling she knew the answer to that question. Shaw suddenly stood up from his chair and started walking towards her.

She couldn't help but flinch when she saw the scar over his right eye once again. It was that damn scar that terrified her. And he knew it. But Shaw had other weapons he liked to use on the experiments, just to keep them in line.

"We were waiting to see if you were ready, my dear," he replied in a sneer of content. Emma eyed the gloves he wore warily. She could already feel the electrical pulse they gave off, even from this distance. "Now we know, that you are ready for Phase 2."

"And what is… Phase 2?" she asked warily. Shaw's only response was a sly grin before he used the gloves to knock her out. The electrical current was enough to just put her out, but only for a few hours.

"Hydra's army is waiting," he whispered.

* * *

><p>Tony slammed a fist on the table out of pure frustration. They had just gotten back to their rendezvous point when Natasha told him what happened. Steve and Emma had been captured by the remaining Hydra guards. And it was likely that the other experiments had been part of that group.<p>

"Damn it!" he nearly shouted the words before Sam patted him on the shoulder. The two didn't know each other that long but they still looked out for one another.

"Tony, there was nothing you could—" Tony cut Natasha off with a sigh of frustration, shaking his head to try and clear his thoughts. It wasn't long before Natasha and Clint had joined them. The team just didn't feel the same without having Steve by their side, and it only left Sam feeling even more awkward than before.

"There had to be something we could've done," Tony snapped. "We just lost Captain Freakin' America, and the only way we could find those other experiments."

"Damn it Tony, she wasn't a tool!" Natasha suddenly shouted back. Even Clint looked at her in surprise. Natasha rarely acted this way unless it was something personal. "She was just a kid, and you seem to keep forgetting that."

"Yeah, is that what they called you when you were her age?" Natasha's teeth ground together when Tony asked that. He knew what would hurt the most, right where his words struck home. Fortunately for his sake Clint was only just managing to keep her from cutting Tony's head off at that point.

"Guys look, fighting isn't going to get us anywhere, or them out any faster." Clint wasn't one to take charge unless the situation demanded it. It seemed like without Steve's help the team was falling apart faster than someone could shout 'Hail Hydra!'

"Much as I hate to say it, Clint's right," Natasha muttered. "Look, Hydra is creating an… army. And I think we know what that army is made of."

Tony made a face when she handed him the files she'd managed to find. Somehow Hydra had left them behind. She wasn't sure if they were leaving breadcrumb trails for them or had done this accidentally. But it did give them a clue as to where their next base would be located.

"Are you sure these are accurate?" Tony asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Those coordinates are right outside of Washington D.C.," Sam replied after reading over Tony's shoulder. Tony grumbled in annoyance before moving away a few steps.

"If what you said about their plans is true, than we'll need to act quickly," Tony put in. "I have a bad feeling their plan involves an unsuspecting Capsicle as their latest target."


	13. Friend Or Foe?

**Chapter Thirteen**

_**Friend or Foe?**_

"Hi, you must be hungry." Emma glared at the girl handing her a tray full of food.

It didn't look appetizing at all. She knew now what real food looked like. And what it was like to have the comfort of a real family.

Here she was alone. One girl had tried providing comfort, but Emma had turned down all of her efforts. She wasn't here to make friends. Hydra had made that clear. They wanted her to become part of their army.

She felt bitter resentment towards Hydra and what they did. Even if she did manage to escape their clutches, she would still be considered a freak in the real world. No human would try to help her if she ever so needed it.

"Please, you have to eat something," the girl continued staring at her with a pitiful look.

The girl herself wasn't much to look at. She was smaller than Emma herself, with light reddish brown hair, a freckled face and green eyes. What stood out was the star shaped tattoo on her arm. She didn't wear long-sleeves like the other girls around here. She was proud to show her mark.

"Why?" Emma demanded, her fists clenching as she glared at the girl. Sympathy clouded the girl's eyes as she looked down at the poor excuse of a meal.

"Because, I know what it's like to feel so alone," she replied. "I've been there." She paused and smiled as she looked back at Emma, whose eyes widened in disbelief. "I just wanted to make sure that you're okay."

Shame crawled over Emma as she took a small bite of her meal. All she had been doing was pushing the girl away. She might as well be no better than Hydra themselves, or the real world. Maybe it was time she made some friends here. They might even be willing to end their ties with Hydra in the end.

"How did you come to know Hydra?" Emma couldn't help but ask after thanking her for the meal.

The girl suddenly fell uncomfortably silent. Hydra had been keeping an eye on all of their 'soldiers', but to Emma's surprise and disdain they allowed them to roam around the base. Guards were posted at every exit to keep an eye out for any escapee. Emma hadn't seen any chances of escape since they were blocking her powers again. The only way she could escape was through help, as much as she hated admitting it.

"They… killed my family," she murmured after an awkward silence had passed between them. "They said that I owed them a debt for allowing me to live." Emma hadn't missed how the girl's fists tightened with anger and sorrow. "They experimented on me, and turned me into a living weapon. I…. I can heal any wounds no matter how deep, including my own."

Emma couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl. She didn't know her family, or if she even had one. All of her life had been spent with Hydra. But to be forced into something like that…. It made her sick. And to think, she had once _appreciated_ Hydra for taking her in. The thought made her stomach twist in disgust.

"Do you have a name?" Emma eyed the girl curiously this time.

"Ryley," she replied with a faint smile. "I know yours is Emma. I overheard one of the Hydra soldiers calling you by that," she quickly explained when Emma stiffened in surprise.

"Thank you, for helping me," Emma murmured sheepishly. "Would you… like to be my friend?" The question left her feeling a bit awkward. Even if this was Hydra's base, and Ryley was part of Hydra's army, maybe there was still some hope for the girl. Maybe she could actually help Ryley, just like the Avengers had helped her.

"I'd love that!" Ryley replied with a grin.

A small spark of hope had flared within Emma as the two continued chatting like long lost friends. She found out that Ryley had joined Hydra three years ago, and had been learning how to control her powers ever since. A few times Hydra had even sent Ryley on important missions to ensure that their soldiers were fully healed.

But it also left Emma feeling worried. Ryley was very close to some of the Hydra soldiers. She had even made a few friends with them. Was she really a friend, or was she foe? Emma couldn't be too sure. But right now, she needed a friend. Someone she could talk to during these troubling times. And Ryley was all that she had at this point.

...

"So, you're aware of the plan?" Natasha looked at Tony quizzically as he just glared at her. Tony had hardly been paying attention during their briefing. Then again that was just Tony being, well, Tony.

"Yeah," Tony answered after yawning as if the topic bored him. "We go in, get the kid and free Capsicle before Hydra finds out we're there." Natasha only rolled her eyes in annoyance as she glanced at Clint.

"He's right," he replied with a shrug. "Might as well be glad that he actually got half of it."

Natasha only sighed when she realized that Tony was right. For this mission they would need the Hulk, which was why Bruce had decided to go along with them. If the Hulk caused enough of a distraction outside, it might give them a chance to reach the base while it was left unguarded.

But the two top SHIELD agents were well aware that Hydra never left anything unguarded. Especially when it came to their experiments.


	14. Attack On Base

**Chapter Fourteen**

_**Attack On Base**_

It was late by the time she arrived at the office. Befriending one of Hydra's biggest assets was something she never expected to do. Hydra had asked her to do so. And it was easy to see why. She could already see the makings of a good soldier in that girl.

But there was something that troubled her. The girl trusted her too easily. She was afraid that this could go South very easily.

Fingers typed away at the keyboard as Ryley stepped inside. One of Hydra's head officers sat at the desk, typing notes from her latest intel. Ryley took a deep breath as she waited for them to say something. Anything.

"I see that the girl has shared her feelings with you," the officer said with a meek smile. Ryley simply remained silent. She was not to speak unless spoken to. That was one of Hydra's many rules, especially when it came to a top-ranking officer. "And you believe that she would be willing to obey us?"

"Yes, sir," Ryley replied with confidence. "I'm certain that with time we can make her see things… our way."

The officer looked at her curiously. "I hope that you're right," he suddenly sneered. "Because according to our latest reports, you're due for a reconfiguration."

Ryley stiffened at the mention of reconfiguration. It was a term that Hydra used only on their experiments. And it meant that said experiments could lose their memory. The last thing she wanted to lose her memories. It was the reason she had spent so much time gaining Hydra's trust, going through their ranks and succeeding in missions.

"Understood, sir." She bowed after a moment's silence followed. Once the officer dismissed her she let out a sigh of relief and left.

She had to keep up this ruse. It was the only place she could call home. Hydra took her in when no one else would. She owed them for what they did for her.

...

Emma walked down the long corridors, careful not to drawl any attention.

Hydra had been keeping tabs on her. She knew that there was no hope of escaping. Not unless something miraculous happened. She hadn't even seen Ryley since their first encounter in the cafeteria. Maybe that had just been an illusion created by Hydra.

She shook her head at the thought. If what she thought was true, than perhaps Hydra was trying to gain her trust.

"There you are!" Emma froze at the sound of a familiar voice. She turned around in time to see Ryley walking up to her. The girl had on a warm smile as she greeted her. "I'm sorry I was gone for so long; I was on another mission," she explained when Emma looked at her in disbelief.

"What did you do?" Emma couldn't help but ask. They were now headed off to another room. The lab, where experiments were tested on. Emma had not been this way since she was taken here. She wasn't sure what to make of it when she reached the door.

"We had to infiltrate a SHIELD base," Ryley explained. "Apparently they've been holding out on us, by keeping weapons locked up in a vault."

Emma bit the bottom of her lip at Ryley's words. She sounded so smug about the way she spoke. Emma couldn't help but wonder how Ryley could act so calm.

But her words had left another, more pressing thought on Emma. She had mentioned something about SHIELD. Was it an abandoned base? Or did she have to kill in order to get what she wanted? Emma wasn't too sure about this now.

"The kids they brought in earlier were younger experiments," Ryley explained when they heard a scream through the door. Emma flinched at the sound. It reminded her all too much of her first days as an experiment. "Some of them don't survive the night if they're brought here."

Her gaze was suddenly sad as she peeked through the small window. Emma followed her gaze and saw a young boy strapped to a table. Her heart nearly broke when she saw how pitiful he looked. He let out another scream that caused the entire room to shake. Moments later and the scientists had him under a sedative, knocking him out in seconds.

"Why does Hydra need an army?" Emma's voice was barely a whisper. Ryley looked in her direction but didn't say anything.

"Hydra wants to cleanse the world," Ryley murmured. "But some people aren't willing to listen. If we show them what Hydra is capable of, than perhaps they'll be more willing."

Emma looked at her new friend doubtfully. She knew that some humans would never fully accept being ruled. Especially if that said ruler was an organization like Hydra. She herself wasn't sure what she thought of it all.

_Maybe life outside of Hydra isn't so bad_, she thought.

Suddenly one of the alarms went off. Emma had to cover her ears at the loud noise as it echoed through the empty halls. Ryley looked around in a moment of panic before unlocking the lab door.

"The base is under attack!" one of the scientists cried. A woman with short blond hair looked at the two girls pleadingly. "We need to get these kids to safety," she ordered after grabbing the nearest stretcher.

_The Avengers_…. Emma's eyes widened when she realized what this was. Her body worked faster than her mind. She blindly followed orders and helped push a stretcher with a girl strapped to it, following the female scientist. Ryley was close behind with the boy they saw earlier.

"There's a safehouse just beyond that hall," the scientist explained as she led the way. "We need to get them all in and make sure they don't find us."

Emma suddenly stopped herself short as they reached what looked like a hidden door. The Avengers were here because of her. She was putting everyone's lives at risk. Ryley had gotten ahead and looked over her shoulder in confusion.

"I'm going to see if I can stall them," Emma explained as she handed the scientist her stretcher. "Ryley, will you come with me?"

Ryley looked like she was about to protest when she thought better of it. With a reluctant nod, she handed her stretcher over as well once the door was opened. It led to a small underground tunnel, which Emma assumed was a network leading to another Hydra base.

After receiving a thanks from the scientist, Emma ran down the nearest hall with Ryley hot on her heals. The alarms had been blaring for the last half hour now. By now Emma's ears were ringing at the sound. She had to stop for a moment and think of an escape plan.

"Is there any way they can get down here?" Emma asked as they started running again.

"Unfortunately, yes." Ryley's words were cut off when the sound of footsteps followed. They both skidded to a halt at the sound. For a brief moment Emma was afraid it was a Hydra soldier.

Her shoulders sagged in relief when she recognized an exhausted looking Captain Rogers. Ryley, on the other hand, didn't look so relieved. Emma glanced at her in concern when she noticed how afraid Ryley looked.

"Captain America, you're a dead man," Ryley whispered under her breath. Emma only shook her head in disbelief and put a hand on Ryley's shoulders, hoping that would calm her down. The glare that followed was one that sent shivers through Emma.

"He's not the enemy," was all Emma could tell her.

"Emma?" She looked back at Steve when he called her name. He sounded out of breath, like he'd been running a marathon for days. Before Ryley could react, Emma rushed in to make sure that Steve wasn't hurt.

The hope she had felt earlier suddenly came rushing back. Steve had a few bruises here and there, but it didn't look serious. In fact it looked like he just lost sleep.

"I'm glad you're okay," she murmured after giving him a hug. Steve just looked at her in surprise while Ryley's mouth dropped open.

"It's good to see you too," he finally replied after searching for the right words. "They didn't do anything to you, did they?" Emma shook her head once again. "Good, we need to get out of here. The others are waiting outside."

Emma hesitated for a moment before looking at Ryley. The girl looked completely dumbstruck by the fact that Emma was so close to the Avengers. Finally she closed her mouth and glared.

"Ryley, please…. They could help you," Emma pleaded. "Hydra's the enemy…. Just look at what they did to us!" Ryley only took a step back as Steve watched curiously.

"SHIELD, the Avengers, you…." Ryley paused at each word, as if saying them was a struggle. "I know who I can and can't trust." Emma looked at her sadly as Ryley turned away. But as suddenly as she had made up her mind, Ryley suddenly turned to face them. "And I know that I can trust you," she finally said.

"Steve?" Emma looked at Steve, hopeful that he would take Ryley in like Natasha and Clint had taken her in. A few moments had passed before Steve let out a sigh of defeat. He had been studying her, making sure that this girl wasn't somehow a threat to the Avengers. But seeing her now made him realize how much Emma needed a friend, one that was her age.

"Alright, she can go with us. As long as we make it out safely," he replied.

She couldn't help but grin at that. For the first time since she had left Hydra, she felt like she had done something good. She hadn't noticed the odd look Ryley gave them as they led the way out. One way or another, Hydra wasn't going to let their experiments go so easily.


	15. Freedom, For Now

**Chapter Fifteen**

_**Freedom, For Now**_

Steve looked at the two girls cautiously as he led them out of the base. So far they hadn't run into any Hydra soldiers. The majority of them had been either guarding him or the outside area of the base. Luckily the team had managed to distract them enough for him to escape from his cell. Hydra was keeping bigger secrets than any of the Avengers realized.

"There's an exit nearby," the girl with reddish brown hair announced. Ryley, that was her name. He had to remember that. She already didn't trust the Avengers, and it was likely she was working for Hydra. Better to stay on her good side for now than give her reasons to hate him even more.

"Good, but what are the chances that it isn't guarded?" Steve asked after knocking out a second Hydra soldier. Sure enough they started running towards the three. Steve managed to keep the soldiers at bay while the girls watched with wide eyes.

"That door is an emergency exit," Ryley explained. "They never guard it because it only opens when the alarm goes off." Steve looked at her skeptically as Emma gave him an encouraging nod. He wished that he he could trust this new girl. But trust was hard to come by, especially when it came to Hydra.

Finally Steve let out a sigh as he led the way down the hall, following Ryley's directions. After knocking out a few more Hydra soldiers, they reached a large metal door. And sure enough the door was opened. Steve eyed the door warily before pushing it forward. Fresh air hit his lungs like a wave. But the sound of battle echoed around him once they were outside. Most of the fighting took place around the perimeter. Tony was flying around in his Iron Man suit, blasting at anyone that looked like Hydra. Sam flew down in his Falcon suit, reaching the three of them with a grin of relief.

"Glad to see you're still alive," he sighed after landing in front of them. Ryley's eyes had widened in fear as she hid behind Emma. Fortunately Sam had noticed and backed off, giving the girls some space.

"What, afraid the fight would go wrong without me?" Steve asked with a grin. Sam only rolled his eyes before giving the others a signal. Almost at once the fighting had slowed down. There weren't many Hydra soldiers left to begin with after the Avengers tore them apart. For now, things were actually quiet.

"Come on, there's a safe spot up ahead," Sam gestured towards a small path looming ahead. Steve nodded his thanks before allowing him to take the lead. It was good to be free, but how long would that freedom last?

...

Emma had never felt happier to be outside. The sun was shining despite the devastation of battle, and a warm breeze made her wish she had been out longer. This was what freedom felt like when she wasn't part of Hydra. Here she could move about without a care and not take orders. She turned in time to see Ryley looking around wildly, as if expecting an enemy to leap out of the bushes. Her eyes darkened with sudden sadness as she watched her new friend.

_She'll overcome the fear_, Emma thought hopefully. _She'll know that Hydra is the enemy_.

'_We can't trust that kid_.' Emma stiffened when she heard Sam's thoughts. It felt good to be able to read thoughts again. But she didn't want to hear Sam's thoughts. His lack of trust in her judgement was starting to wane on her.

'_Wonder what her powers are_?' Those were Steve's thoughts. She smiled as she remembered what Ryley had told her. She could heal wounds, no matter what they were. Something like that could be useful, especially in times like this.

It didn't take long for them to reach the clearing Sam had mentioned. Emma held back a sigh of relief when they saw a quinjet waiting for them. Natasha and Clint were already there after Sam had told them it was safe. Emma glanced to the right and noticed a large path was made, along with wide footprints. She had already guessed that was where the Hulk wandered off.

"It's good to see you again," Clint said with the slightest of smirks. There were no words to describe how happy she was to be out of that place. All Emma could do was stare at them blankly while Ryley stood back, suddenly looking uncomfortable again.

"Who's this?" Natasha demanded, already holding on to a gun. Emma flinched at the sight before Steve stepped in and explained everything. She held back a sigh of relief when Natasha's posture relaxed, but only slightly. "Can we trust her?" she asked out loud.

Emma glanced at Ryley, who hadn't spoken a word since they escaped the base. The girl simply raised her chin and locked eyes with Natasha, as if sharing a knowing look.

"I believe the real question is, can you trust anyone, these days?" she suddenly asked. Her question left everyone feeling awkwardly silent. No one knew what to say to that. Instead, Tony broke the silence as he joined them.

"Glad to see that everyone's reunited," he announced with a look of disappointment. "Where's Banner?" Fortunately Bruce approached the group through the trees, looking like he'd run a marathon as he watched everyone warily.

At last the team had finally decided to call it quits after searching the base. No signs of survivors were found inside once the soldiers were taken down. Emma had hoped that at least one or two experiments would be found. But it seemed as though they had all escaped.

Once the quinjet was in the air, everyone had looks of relief on their faces. Everyone that was except for Ryley. Emma looked at her warily as she tried scanning her mind. But instead of reading her thoughts, she only found empty space. Her eyes narrowed in confusion until Ryley looked at her.

"Is something wrong?" she asked nervously. Emma only sighed and shook her head.

"No, nothing's wrong," she replied, trying to keep calm. "But…. I'm just worried…. I don't know what to expect from Hydra now." Emma looked out of the small window as she kept her voice down to a whisper. She knew the Avengers would want to hear everything the two of them said. "Why create an army? And why us?"

Ryley bit the bottom of her lip, and Emma noticed sudden guilt flashing in her eyes. But it had disappeared so quickly that Emma wasn't sure what she saw. "There's nothing to be afraid of," Ryley reassured her in a whisper. "If Hydra is creating an army, maybe it's for the good of man kind."

Those words sent chills through Emma. She looked away, once again wondering if she had made the right decision to trust this girl. There was something about Ryley that she just couldn't trust. And she had a feeling that her decision would haunt her for the rest of her life.


End file.
